Samsung Teams up with Bang and Olufsen

By Nicolas Fogelholm
Guest Contributor, RealTechNews

I think it was Ericsson that started the whole thing when they teamed up with Sony and formed Sony Ericsson. This happened in 2001, the same year as Apple’s iPod was launched. Back then we knew nothing of polyphonic ringtones or MP3 music on mobiles. Today things are different. Mobiles aren’t just for calling anymore and these small media centers must have MP3 players, megapixel cameras, and efficient processors to run business applications or latest games just to be in the game.

The competition is hard and you must have a partner or brand to back you up. After Sony-Ericsson, Motorola partnered with Apple for the ROKR phone. Then market leader Nokia made a deal with rival Microsoft and has promised to support Microsoft’s Windows Media Audio in its cell phones.

The news this week is that Korean electronics company Samsung has teamed up with Bang and Olufsen, known for its expensive, sleekly designed art-house type televisions and home entertainment. This duo announced they will create a high-end cell phone incorporating B&O’s top-quality acoustics and design.

Bang & Olufsen, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-end audio and video equipment, and Samsung Electronics, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of mobile phones, have announced that they have teamed up to develop a new mobile phone concept. The intention is to create a truly unique product, which breaks with conventional assumptions and expectations to offer users a new mobile experience. Source: Bang_Olfufsen

Our Take: The Samsung and Bang & Olufsen deal highlights a growing trend of mobile phone companies trying to turn their handsets into MP3 players and riding on the iPod success. The competition is going to be tough, but Samsung has been doing well so this could be a smart move. Source: About Nokia.com